Phil Griffiths of Connect
EMPLOYEES across the UK who are being made redundant from work are being given a helping hand with a range of online resources, thanks to two Wiltshire companies.
Swindon-based Connect offers outplacement services to companies who are making employees redundant. Consultants offer employees support in areas such as dealing with the loss of their job, identifying new career paths, CV writing and interview techniques.
Director Phil Griffiths, a former human resources director at Raychem in Swindon, who was one of the founders of the business in 2001, said: “The cuts in the public sector – and the knock-on effect they will have on private enterprises – means we are expecting a very busy year or two ahead.
“We wanted to develop our existing website so that our time with employees facing redundancy could be spent concentrating on specific issues or challenges, rather than basic form-filling and skills development.
“On the website, our clients work through modules that help them decide which way to go next, and how to land a new job. There is even a section on setting up a their own business, which many clients have done, and gone on to become suppliers for the firm that made them redundant.
“We wanted the new site to be a visually appealing, animated, interactive guide through the process, and that’s exactly what our developers delivered.”
The Impactometer
The new site was developed by Marlborough-based Mole Productions, which created Connect’s original website back in 2001. The web developers came up with a suite of innovative tools to help clients – including the Impactometer.
Nicola Ashton, of Mole, said: “The Impactometer is designed to show how an achievement can be made to stand out on a CV, It is based on the ‘strongman striker’ you might find at a fairground, where you hit plate at the bottom of a pole with a hammer to make the bell at the top of the pole ring.
“So for instance, the phrase ‘looked after 10 accounts’ would be considered a weak hit; ‘managed 10 key customer accounts worth £150,000’ would be okay, but not enough to make the bell ring. ‘Managed 10 key customer accounts and increased income from £130,000 to £150,000 in two years’ gets the bell ringing, and makes your CV stand out.”
Companies that are making redundancies are not legally obliged to help to those employees they are losing, but Mr Griffiths insists the process is good for the business – as well as the individuals concerned.
“Firms who look after their staff when they need to make cuts can maintain their public image, and uphold morale in the workplace among the remaining employees, who could otherwise be disheartened at losing their colleagues and having to pick up their workload.
“Sometimes redundancies are unavoidable. Companies that treat employees well at these difficult times are most likely to rebuild healthily in the future.”
For more about Connect – which since 2001 has helped national and multinational companies including Legal & General, Dunhill, William Hill, Royal Liver and the Learning & Skills Council – log on to www.theconnectprogramme.com
For a bespoke website from Mole Productions, go to www.moleproductions.com